Comparing support for deep-sea mining among the mass public and environmental non-governmental organizations

Abstract The energy transition hinges on the availability of critical minerals. China dominates the global critical minerals supply chain. Deep-sea mining (DSM) is proposed as an alternative to domestic land-based mining. While DSM could reduce China’s control over critical minerals and avoid local pollution from land-based mining, it could potentially harm the ocean ecosystem. We explore whether support for DSM depends on how its benefits/costs are framed, and how this support varies between the mass public and environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs). We administered an identical (pre-registered) online survey to US individuals ( n = 1142) and separately to ENGO professionals ( n = 278). This unique research design assesses whether the support for these two groups for DSM is influenced by how the DSM spillovers are framed in terms of (1) preventing land-based water pollution and habitat degradation from land-based mines (+), (2) reducing US dependence on China for critical minerals (+), and (3) hurting fisheries which are a key food source (−). Among the mass public, we find that support for DSM mining increases with the security frame only. However, among ENGO respondents, support for DSM does not change for any frame. Men in both samples support DSM, but we do not find differences in DSM support along race or partisan affiliations.